The present invention relates to a new and improved method of, and apparatus for, continuously taking-off a thread alternately from one of two essentially parallel bobbin packages arranged in side by side relationship.
Machines for processing textile threads or yarns or similar filamentary material--hereinafter usually simply conveniently referred to as "threads"--require the infeed of unprocessed threads. The thread supply is to be carried out continuously for reasons of economy. Thus, for instance, a texturing machine is equipped with a plurality of processing positions or stations. Each processing station is supplied with a thread which is taken-off a bobbin package arranged on a creel having a large number of bobbin packages near the machine. Adjacent to each bobbin package from which there is removed the thread as required, there is arranged a reserve bobbin package. The thread ends of both bobbins or bobbin packages are interconnected in a manner such that as the first bobbin package is depleted, the thread automatically is taken-off the second or reverse bobbin package. The depleted bobbin package then is changed for a full bobbin package which, in turn, now assumes the role of the reserve bobbin package. In this way it is possible to maintain a continuous supply of unprocessed threads to each processing position or station of the processing machine.
The textile art is acquainted with an arrangement of two bobbin packages in a creel, one such bobbin package serving as a reserve bobbin package. Normally, the two bobbin packages are arranged at an angle with respect to one another, and the extension of the two bobbin axes intersect at a common thread guide in a manner such that a thread can be removed, through this thread guide, from the one as well as the other bobbin package. One drawback of such type arrangement resides in the large amount of space which is required by the bobbin packages in the creel. This has been found to be particularly disadvantageous, for instance, in a texturing machine having a large number of processing positions or stations, requiring a plurality of creels.
In an attempt to alleviate or avoid this shortcoming British Pat. No. 1,372,553 proposes an arrangement of the bobbins in a creel wherein the bobbin packages are vertically supported essentially parallel to one another and side by side. To permit guiding of the thread from two bobbin packages to a common thread guide, there is arranged a rod between the common thread guide. The thread can slide upon such rod during such time as the thread which is being taken-off changes from the one bobbin package to the reserve bobbin package. Apart from the unstable guiding of the thread upon the rod during the thread take-off operation, this state-of-the-art arrangement is afflicted with the disadvantage that it is not applicable for use with horizontally supported bobbin packages. Yet, a horizontal bobbin package support arrangement affords many advantages over the vertical bobbin package support arrangement. For instance, there is considerably simplified supplying the creel with full bobbins, mounting of the bobbin packages is much more reliable and simpler, the thread layers cannot slide-off from badly wound bobbin packages, and there is afforded a more effective utilization of the available space.